


Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be

by TheSpaceHairAndTheSpaceIdiot



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: F/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 15:04:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6084192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpaceHairAndTheSpaceIdiot/pseuds/TheSpaceHairAndTheSpaceIdiot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She didn't know what it was, but it seemed like all the shops were overrun by packs of people, much more so than usual today, and she was not enjoying it. After more than two weeks' worth of filming obligations in Canada, she'd only returned home last night and had had to rush back out first thing this morning for an audition and then a meeting with her agent. She would have loved nothing more than to have gone straight home after the meeting, but she'd had a few errands to run - and thus, here she was, middle of the day, shopping in hand, as she made her way through the crowds of Los Angeles.</p><p>She had just stopped in front of a small restaurant she occasionally visited while out shopping like today, wishing idly that she had the time or energy to stop before she had to meet Salome after school, when she heard a shout from not very far away. </p><p>"Alex!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be

**Author's Note:**

> This may be a week late, but here is shameless Valentine's fic. I took a short break from the final chapter of my Whoniverse fic (that is very nearly done, don't worry) to get this out. I had hoped to finish by actual Valentine's, but this just got longer and longer and longer until I had this monster of a final product. As with the last fic (and probably everything else going forward, unless specified) everything is the same here and it takes place in present day, but both Matt and Alex are single. Enjoy and happy belated Valentine's Day!
> 
> Title from Elvis' "Can't Help Falling in Love". Many thanks to both Nikki, for helping me with the initial premise all those months ago, and HellNHighHeels for all the brainstorming and threats on my life to keep me motivated.

Alex was frazzled. It had been an extremely busy day, an even longer week, and with her schedule over the past month allowing her barely any time to breathe, let alone think properly, she was very much looking forward to getting home and relaxing for the rest of the weekend. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be happening quite as quickly as she'd like.

She didn't know what it was, but it seemed like all the shops were overrun by packs of people, much more so than usual today, and she was not enjoying it. After more than two weeks' worth of filming obligations in Canada, she'd only returned home last night and had had to rush back out first thing this morning for an audition and then a meeting with her agent. She would have loved nothing more than to have gone straight home after the meeting, but she'd had a few errands to run - and thus, here she was, middle of the day, shopping in hand, as she made her way through the crowds of Los Angeles.

She had just stopped in front of a small restaurant she occasionally visited while out shopping like today, wishing idly that she had the time or energy to stop before she had to meet Salome after school, when she heard a shout from not very far away.

"Alex!"

She looked up, startled. She knew that voice - the owner was loud and Scottish and it unmistakably belonged to Karen Gillan. But before she could discern where the girl was, another equally familiar voice called out to her.

"Kingston! Over here!"

It was Matt. Her head was instantly drawn in the direction of his voice, like radar, quickly spotting he and Karen sitting in the outdoor dining area of the very restaurant she had just been contemplating.

Her exhaustion and hectic schedule instantly forgotten, Alex felt a grin rush to her face as she made her way across the street and closer to the pair of them.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Having lunch, what does it look like?" Karen answered with a boisterous laugh. "We just got here. Get over here and join us already!"

Glancing down quickly to check the time, Alex reasoned she could spare a half hour after all. Opening the gate that separated the restaurant seating from the street, she walked over to their table. Karen rose quickly and threw her arms around Alex, which she returned enthusiastically. Although they now lived in the same city, it wasn't as if they saw each other frequently, especially with each of their hectic lives.

As soon as Karen let go of her, Alex turned around and was instantly engulfed by Matt and his gangly limbs, which were giving her one of her favorite patented Matt's Full Body Hugs. "God, it's been _forever_ , Alex!" he said wistfully, grinning with his face buried in her hair.

"Lord, it's been an _age_ , darling!" she cried happily, pulling back just enough to press a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth and then returning his hug with vigor, her bags still dangling from her hands behind his back.

When they finally broke apart, Alex bent to place her things on the ground and sat in an empty seat between the two of them. Before she had a chance to say anything, Karen forged ahead first.

"So, Alex, how've you been? It's been a while since we talked. Any scandalous stories to entertain us?"

Alex laughed heartily as she glanced down, noting that neither Karen or Matt had food in front of them and their menus were still on the table. She picked Matt's up from in front of him and gave it a quick glance over. "Oh, no dear, not unless you count multiple aggravating plane rides, a slew of early mornings and late nights, and a particularly boorish producer as scandalous, I'm afraid I've got nothing of interest to share."

Matt laughed boisterously, flashing her a supportive grin that sent a wave of warmth over her. "Long week, Kingston?"

Deciding quickly on what to order, she placed the menu back on the table and shook her head with a sigh. "A week I could handle just fine. But it's been _several_ weeks of nonstop running around and I'm fit to drop."

Just then, a waiter approached their table and they all took a break from conversation to place their orders. Once they'd all ordered and the waiter had gone back inside, Karen started back in on the catching up.

"So you just got back from filming in Canada, I think I heard, right?" she asked eagerly. "How was that? Besides busy, obviously."

"Long. Exhausting. Mind-numbing," Alex answered blandly. She shook her head, guilt for complaining getting to her. "No, I mean, it was lovely. It was a great shoot and all and God knows I'm always grateful for the work. I've just been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off for weeks. I only got home last night and then I had an audition and a meeting with my agent today, and then errands to run, and now I'm here with you two, which is _lovely_ , but then I've got to rush back home to Salome, and I'm just looking forward to a quiet weekend now."

"I feel your pain, Kingston. I haven't had a moment to breathe in forever," Matt said sympathetically, leaning forward with his elbows on the table and hunching over it, leaning closer in towards her. "I just got in this morning, after a long shoot _and_ a press tour, which I spent my whole morning doing. I was looking forward to an afternoon of being passed out in my hotel, but Kaz here wouldn't hear of it and dragged me out for lunch." He adopted a stage whisper and leaned into her even closer. "Don't tell her, but I think I may owe her a favor after this, because it's turned out to be a bit of a blessing. Who knows when I may have bumped into you again?"

His flirty grin and whispered tone sent a slow but dazzling smile spreading across her face and a warm tingling sensation up her spine, which she choice to pointedly ignore. "You know that shameless flirting of yours is going to get you into trouble one day!" She shook her finger admonishingly in his direction, even while a very pleased laugh bubbled up her throat and out of her mouth. "I might have to teach you a lesson!"

"Oh, I can only hope so, Kingston," he replied cheekily, giving her what would pass for an eyebrow raise on a man who actually possessed eyebrows. Somehow he still managed to look devilishly seductive. "What sort of punishment do you have in mind exactly?"

"Eughh! Ok, that's enough out of the two of you!" Karen cried out, her hands flying up to cover her ears and her eyes screwed tightly shut. "I swear, this is one thing I _haven't_ missed - you two and the constant stream of unending and frankly traumatizing flirting! There's only so much of watching that face of his try to be enticing that I can take in one lifetime!"

Alex laughed, the spell of their flirty-but-friendly rapport broken by Karen's ire. She had missed this more than she could say, if she were honest with herself. Friendly and harmless though it may be, flirting with Matt had always been the highlight of her day back during their time on set together. Upsetting Karen was, of course, only an added bonus that she pretended to feel guilty for.

"Sorry, dear, old habits die hard and all," she told her apologetically.

"Yes, very hard. Very, _very_ hard," Matt added, chortling to himself as he leaned back against his chair, grinning at the sky as Karen groaned from across the table.

"Matt, _really_! You're _terrible_!" Alex reprimanded him, giving him a firm slap to the arm, but simultaneously unable to hold back a giggling laugh of her own.

Matt only laughed harder and shrugged his shoulders. "What? She makes it too easy! How could I resist?"

They somehow managed to settle down enough to hold a proper conversation for the few more minutes it took their food to arrive. By the time they'd all finished eating, Alex knew she was very pressed for time but was feeling a very odd and overwhelming desire to simply stay put. This had been a chance encounter she was extremely grateful for. Karen, as rarely as they actually saw each other, was at least accessible. They texted often enough and they theoretically could meet up more often than they did. Matt, however, still based out of the UK, was much more elusive, and it had been all too long since they'd crossed paths. Not having the faintest idea of when they would again, Alex was feeling very reluctant to leave the restaurant.

Eventually, however, she couldn't put it off any longer. She was already going to be late meeting her daughter after school, she didn't want to keep her waiting long. She told Matt and Karen as much and started to make her goodbyes. Karen looked disappointed but perfectly at ease. Matt, on the other hand, seemed startled. Before she could rise from her seat to start gathering her things, Matt started talking.

"Now, that's just not fair! We hardly got to talk! Listen, I know you have to get home, but we should get together again before I head back to England. You said you had this weekend free? I know you wanted to relax, but we should do dinner. What do you say?"

She had wanted to relax. She'd been looking forward to committing to nothing but a warm bath, a good book, and her bed for the entire weekend, especially with Salome spending the entirety of it with her father. But, just as ever, she was drawn to Matt. His presence was oddly electrifying and magnetizing and made her yearn for things she simply couldn't have and would never put a name to. But a night of dinner and drinks and conversation with an old friend she got along with famously was certainly something she _could_ do, her hopes for a quiet weekend be damned. "Yes, that sounds wonderful, of course I'd love to! When?"

"How's tomorrow?" he asked enthusiastically, his grin spreading wide across his face and making him look just like the the twelve year old he was often compared to. That shouldn't be nearly as endearing as it was. "I'm here for the week, but I've got the weekend free, so why put it off? So long as you're sure you aren't busy? With Salome or whatever?"

"Wait - tomorrow?" Karen butt in unexpectedly, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Matt.

Putting her out of mind only momentarily, Alex chose to answer Matt first. "No, tomorrow's just fine. Wide open. And Salome will be with Florian this weekend - not that I couldn't even if she were home. She's not a baby anymore, however I may wish it sometimes. I could leave her for a bit while I go to dinner. So... tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow!" Matt agreed happily, slapping the table in front of him in celebration.

"Tomorrow? Are you two sure-?" Karen interjected again, more insistently this time.

Alex glanced at Matt in confusion. He furrowed his brow for a moment before his eyes flew open in apparent comprehension. "Oh, yeah, I mean, well, of course you're welcome to tag along, Kaz. Rude of me not to include you. Sorry. But yeah, erm, you're always free to join in, you know that," he said conciliatorily. His remorse sounded genuine, but there also seemed to be a definite hesitance in his voice and Alex only hoped Karen couldn't detect it nearly as easily as she could.

But Karen seemed completely unaffected by Matt's seeming reluctance to include her in their plans. She gave a small snort and rolled her eyes. "Please. I have no desire to spend the night listening to you two flirt like a couple of randy teenagers. I put in my time already and I'm no longer getting paid to do it. Besides, _I_ already have plans. I just meant, are you two sure tomorrow is really the best time to have your little night out? You know, considering...?"

Alex had no idea what the girl could possibly mean by that. Honestly, with her insanely hectic schedule these last weeks, it was a wonder she even had the weekend free. The fact that Matt's apparently equally full schedule happened to coincide with hers was astounding. Why on Earth shouldn't they jump on the golden opportunity?

Matt seemed equally confused. "Considering what? We both have the night off, which is a bloody miracle from the sound of it. Why wouldn't it be the best time?"

Karen only stared back and fourth between the two of them for several moments, her face concentrated into a bewildered frown, and she eyed them suspiciously. Suddenly, her eyes widened comically and her face broke out in an amused and slightly fiendish smile. "No, forget it, it's nothing. I'm just being ridiculous. Of course you should go tomorrow. Have fun!"

Matt eyed her warily, but seemed to accept her words as genuine enough. Alex merely put the odd behavior down to Karen's generally eccentric nature. "Right... now that the protests of the mad Scottish woman have been unceremoniously shoved aside..." He turned to face Alex directly, a smile reappearing on his face. "I'll pick you up and we'll head out together? How's eight sound? I'll make reservations tonight!"

"Yeah, you'd better make reservations," Karen muttered, amused, under her breath.

Alex looked at her strangely, feeling like she were missing something important here, but then glanced down at the time. She realized with a jolt that she'd stayed far too long and really needed to leave _now_. She stood from her seat and started to gather her bags, addressing Matt as she did. "Sounds wonderful, darling. I'm looking forward to it! See you tomorrow!"

She rifled in her purse and tried to throw money for her meal down on the table, but both Karen and Matt shouted her down, refusing it. With a huff, she leaned down and gave Karen a hug goodbye, followed by a kiss to Matt's cheek. Then she made her way back to the street and started her journey back home, a triumphant feeling growing in her stomach and an inexplicable grin lighting up her face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next afternoon, Alex found herself perched on her daughter's bed, meticulously folding clothes that were being flung in her general direction and placing them neatly in the suitcase at her side. For one reason or another, Salome had put off packing for her trip to her dad's, which had been extended from being a weekend trip to a weeklong stay and now required more packing than originally intended. Alex was still a little confused about the change in plans, but was doing her best to help get the packing done before Florian arrived to pick her up in just a few short minutes.

"Remind me again why you're staying by Dad's the whole week now?" she asked only slightly scattered, which considering her recent mental state, was something of a victory. "I thought it was just supposed to be the weekend?" She finished folding the blue jumper in her arms and placed it delicately in the case before picking up the next scattered article from the bedspread.

"I'm having a sleepover tonight." Salome's muffled voice came from within the confines of her overcrowded closet. "We're all gonna watch sappy romance movies, eat way too much chocolate, and complain about how horrible and immature all the boys in our class are."

Fondly rolling her eyes at the teenage antics, Alex thought back to her own youth doing much the same sort of thing with her own girlfriends during slumber parties. It was good to know that _some_ things never changed at least. "And why does that mean extending your stay?" she called out, noticing that her daughter was further back into her closet and likely to get lost on the way out and not even hear her voice if she didn't speak loudly enough.

Salome started to answer, but must have realized her voice was a tad bit too muted by all the clothing she was sifting and sorting through, because she finally made her way out of the closet and back into the light of the bedroom, carrying a small armful of more clothes to be packed away. She walked over, threw them on the bed and started helping Alex to fold and pack them away, obviously satisfied that she had enough to last her a week. "Because if I'm spending the weekend with my friends, that means I get no time with dad on his weekend and that's no fair to him, right? Besides, I know you've been exhausted and you could use the quiet now that you're home."

Warmed by Salome's words, Alex nonetheless tutted at her. "The point about your dad is true enough, but _Mausi,_ you don't need to go away for the week just so I can get some rest! That's ridiculous!"

"I know, but this way I get time with Dad and you can spend the week not having to worry about nagging me about my homework or cleaning my room," she answered with a conspiratorial grin, continuing to place items in her suitcase.

Alex rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Ahh, that's your motivation, I should have known." She glanced around the room distastefully. "You're lucky Dad's gonna be here any minute or I'd be _nagging_ you to clean up right now," she said with a shake of her head.

Her daughter glanced around the room. "It's not _that_ bad!" she argued. Sensing that Alex wasn't feeling quite up to arguing the point with more than a disbelieving look, she switched gears, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "You're sure you'll be all right on your own tonight, right? Because I can just go to Dad's tomorrow and have everyone come _here_ tonight - though that would sort of ruin the idea of giving you peace and quiet..."

"Not now that your dad is around the corner you can't!" Alex scolded lightly, confused by the offer to change plans on her account. "Why on Earth would you want to do that anyway? Of course I'll be fine!"

"You're _sure_? I feel kind of guilty leaving you all alone tonight, of all nights, knowing you're just gonna be here reading or watching tv or sleeping, while everyone else is out doing stuff," Salome answered, a level of contrition seeping into her tone. She shuffled closer to Alex and gave her a hug as she spoke.

Utterly perplexed by this level of concern, Alex hugged her daughter back tightly. "I'm going to be just fine, I promise! It's just another night after all! Why wouldn't I be? You really shouldn't worry so much!"

Breaking away, her daughter mustered up a small smile and turned back to the last of her packing. "I know, I shouldn't! It's just-"

"And I'm not even going to be home tonight, so you _really_ don't have to worry!" Alex interjected, hoping to provide some comfort to her.

That certainly piqued the girls interest. She finished placing her laptop inside the jam-packed suitcase and turned to face Alex with a look of surprise. "You _are_? Where are you going?"

"I have dinner plans later tonight, so really-"

"With _who_?" Salome cut in, eyes shining with a fierce curiosity.

Made only slightly hesitant by the intense questioning, Alex answered carefully. "With Matt."

"Matt? Matt who?" Salome brows furrowed in thought, the answer to her own question coming to her quickly. "Matt _Smith_?"

"Yes, I ran into him in town yesterday and-"

"And now you two are going to dinner? _Tonight_?" Her daughter's voice had an unreadable tone to it. She certainly didn't seem to be unhappy at the thought, merely surprised and confused. Though what there could possibly be to be unhappy about, Alex hadn't the slightest clue. Salome knew very well that Alex and Matt had had dinner countless times while working together, so while it had certainly been a while, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"Yes. Why are you acting like this is a big deal? It's just dinner!"

"But you're having dinner _tonight_! Why wouldn't you tell me that?" she squealed, an excited grin spreading across her face. Alex knew her daughter had always been rather fond of the eternal man-child playing the Doctor and had probably missed him quite a lot since the last time she'd seen him on set, but this was still a strange reaction to have.

"Because there's really nothing to tell! It's just dinner! And you won't get the chance to see him yourself before he goes back home, especially since you'll be at your dads. It's nothing to get excited over!"

"But _tonight_ -!"

Distantly, a part of her questioned why everyone kept pointing out the significance of tonight in relation to her plans, but her mind was stopped from contemplating it too deeply when their strange conversation was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell, jolting her back to the here and now.

"That will be your father," Alex said pointedly, gesturing for a disappointed Salome to hurry up and throw the last of her needed items into the suitcase and zip it up. "Come on, we shouldn't keep him waiting.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Several hours later, Alex found herself standing at the foot of her bed, staring down at two different outfits splayed out before her, entirely unsure of which one to don. The first was one of her usual go-tos for less casual events, an ever reliable loosely-fitted black dress, one she'd surely worn to countless publicity events and conventions over the years.

The other was the slightly dressier beige cardigan with the black lace overlay, paired with a long black, flowing skirt. The cardigan was one that she generally wore with only one button done across the front, and which sometimes allowed a peak at the skin beneath from the right angle.

The choice was a difficult one and both outfits called to her for different reasons. She hadn't the faintest idea why she was having trouble picking an outfit for the evening at all, seeing she was just having dinner with _Matt_ for God's sake, but she'd been staring at her two choices for the better part of an hour and 8pm was inching dizzyingly closer the longer she thought on it.

She didn't know where they were going. The only contact she'd had with Matt since the restaurant the previous afternoon had been when he'd texted her to confirm they were still on and the time he'd be picking her up. But she felt confident enough that it wouldn't be casual enough to allow her to wear jeans. The next step up would be the black dress, which she was rather fond of but somehow seemed wrong for the occasion. She couldn't put her finger on why, but the cardigan and skirt called out to her much more strongly, for reasons her mind couldn't quite grasp and her heart tried to ignore.

Wearing a nicer, fancier dress seemed way over the top, and the black dress didn't seem like quite enough, but the cardigan was a nice balance between the two and had the added benefit of making her feel sexy. It gave the smallest peak at her cleavage and a slightly larger peak at everything else. She tried to ignore the implications of that thought, but failed miserably.

It was insane that she was standing in her bedroom, in her knickers, spending a ridiculous amount of time trying to pick out an outfit that she knew would be appreciated by Matt, of all people. The man could flirt with a telephone pole and quite frankly was very good for her self-esteem, but there was exactly zero reason to go out of her way to try and impress him. The only one she could think to try and do so was a completely mad one.

Tonight was dinner. An evening with two old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long while. That was all. If they happened to engage in their usual flirty bantering, that was all well and good, but she had to dampen down these ridiculous urges of hers for something _more_ before it got her into trouble. The idea of she and Matt wasn't entirely new, she'd entertained the thought every now and again in her weaker moments over the years, but she'd never allowed herself to ever think on it in depth. It was much easier, much safer and healthy, to not ever let her mind stray too close to that particular subject. The odd inappropriate thought passing through her mind was one thing, she couldn't be expected to control every random thought to flit throguh her brain, but anything else was simply insanity.

She shoved all her mental turbulence aside, sighed, and gave a long, contemplative stare to the outfits before her, trying to ignore the urge to wear something _nice_. The back dress was surely fine for wherever they were going to go. That's why she liked it so much. And it wasn't as it it were the most modest dress in the world. She'd taken to wearing something beneath the scooping neckline because it was a bit too much.

But in the end, the cardigan ensemble was more... her mind flitted to the word _enticing_ before she could fully stop herself. _Sexy_ , it butted in, entirely unhelpfully, again. Ignoring her difficult subconscious, and blaming it on her frazzled brain of late, she snatched up the black dress and returned it to her closet. Shaking her head at her own ridiculousness, she turned back around and started the process of getting ready, determinedly not looking at the clock.

It wasn't like she had to put any great effort into her hair or makeup. No more than usual at least. She had no reason to worry about the time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the end, of course, she'd ended up making poor Matt wait outside a good five minutes as she flitted around her bedroom making sure everything was as it should be. So she may have spent longer than she'd expected picking out the right shade of lipstick and making sure her curls had the right amount of bounce to them. It wasn't like that was anything out of the ordinary. She'd just spent so long picking out a damn outfit, it felt like the actual getting ready process took longer than usual. Which it didn't.

When Matt arrived at her house, he'd come up to the door and rang the bell. Horrified and panicked at not being ready yet, Alex had grabbed her phone and shot off a text, apologizing for making him wait. He'd texted her back immediately, telling her to take her time, followed by a number of frankly ridiculous smiley faces, which put the smallest, airiest smile on her own face as she finished up.

Now, she'd just finished slipping her shoes on, grabbed her handbag, and was hurriedly making her way down the stairs and towards the front door. Ignoring the inexplicable butterflies in her stomach, she smoothed out the lines of her outfit, and reached forward to open the door to Matt's grinning face.

"Alex!" he boomed enthusiastically, stepping in to give her a big, all-encompassing hug. It was her second in two days and she was starting to feel a bit spoiled.

"Hello, darling! It's fabulous to see you again - and so soon!" she exclaimed with a giddy laugh, returning his hug with vigor and relishing the refreshing smell that always followed him. As they pulled apart, her hands found themselves, all of their own accord, affectionately dusting nonexistent lint from the shoulder of his jacket.

"Oh, but not nearly as fabulous as it is to see you! You look smashing, Kingston, honestly!" he told her, eyeing her outfit appraisingly.

Alex smiled, outwardly embarrassed but inwardly very pleased by the compliment. "Oh, hush now," she said, waving the compliment off as if it meant nothing. It should have meant nothing. Or at least not nearly as much as part of her wanted it to mean. 'It's just a cardigan, it's nothing special."

Matt's face contorted into a facsimile of anguish. "Nonsense! You look _gorgeous_ , Alex! You'll be the belle of the ball tonight, I promise!"

She laughed brightly. "We're going to a restaurant, Matt. I highly doubt anyone else will even be looking my way."

"You're a madwoman, you are," he shook his head defiantly, his arms crossed over his chest. "You'll be turning heads all over the place, I guarantee it."

"Yes, well, if that's the case," she told him, grabbing hold of his shoulders and leading him down her walkways] and towards his car waiting in her drive, "it will be because of the company I keep. You look very dashing yourself tonight, you know."

It was true. Gone were the days of ill-fitting suits over his seemingly perpetually lanky frame. Tonight he wore a blue suit which actually looked tailored to fit his (noticeably more filled-out) frame, the trousers and jacket accompanied with a soft, nicely-made t-shirt, not stretched out at the neck as he preferred in his usual day-to-day wardrobe, beneath it instead of a traditional button down. It was nice enough to not make Alex feel at all overdressed, but still casual enough fit Matt and his distinctly hipster persona.

He laughed, leaning back against her hands but allowing her to lead them towards his car. "Really, Kingston, you're gonna make me blush! Compliments from someone looking as amazing as you, it's just gonna go to me head!"

"Well, we definitely can't be having that!" she told him sternly, hiding her amusement, as they reached his Audi and she looped around to reach the passenger side door. "God knows your head is already far too big. Any bigger and it just might explode."

She opened the door and slipped inside just after catching a glimpse of his outraged face over the roof of the car.

"Oi!"

She giggled to herself, then buckled herself in and watched him jump into the driver's seat. He turned to face her, the last bits of feigned affront slipping and giving way to smugness. "I'll have you know that there are other bits of me that are much bigger than my ego!"

Alex raised her eyebrow at him interestedly, daring him to continue on with his undoubtably filthy train of thought. "Oh, really? And what bits might that be, exactly?"

He raised his brow right back, a wide, smirking, naughty smile gracing his face as he started the car. "Use your imagination, I'm sure you'll come to the answer eventually," he said, his voice low and flirty and amused and most definitely as naughty as his expression.

Alex adopted an innocent expression. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right! Because you're so innocent!" he chuckled heartily, shaking his head in disbelief, eyes now on the road as he pulled them out onto the street.

She tutted at him, poking fun at his inability to follow through on his own dirty bragging.

Laughing even harder at her pretend disappointment, he spared her a quick glace, the smirk still safely embedded on his face, "I'm just saying, Kingston... my feet are _huge_!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The ride to the restaurant wasn't a long one. Within 15 minutes, they'd arrived at a very nice looking Italian bistro. It was small, but before they'd even gotten through the doors Alex could tell it was filled to capacity.

"I hope this is all right," Matt whispered in her ear as they made they way inside. "My plan was to go somewhere a bit more casual and not so... you know..." he gestured vaguely as their surroundings, which were decorated in lots of dimmed lights, candle centerpieces, beautiful flowers lining the walls, and live music being played by a man at the piano in the corner. "But it comes very highly recommended and to be honest... it's the only place I could get a table. I had to try a good dozen places before I called here and snagged the last spot, and that was _with_ a bit of name dropping. I know it's Saturday night in LA and it was kinda last minute, but I felt like I was going mad. Was afraid I'd have to take you to a burger stand or something," he joked, running his hand through his hair, mussing it just perfectly.

"That _is_ strange. It's usually not _that_ difficult to get a table most nights, but I guess it happens," she told him, her brow furrowed in confusion as they made their way to the hostess podium. "And don't worry a bit. This is absolutely fine! It's lovely in here!"

It really was. Alex resolutely shoved the fact that it was a very romantic atmosphere they were dining in out of her mind and thought only of admiring the decor as they were shown to their table near the back.

It was suitably secluded, something she was sure was a result of Matt's confessed name dropping, which gave them a bit of space from the crowd of couples - because yes, it certainly looked like they were surrounded entirely by couples, no singles or families or groups of any kind in sight. A small buzzing start going off in Alex's head, a resurgence of the odd feeling she'd had since yesterday that she was forgetting something important, but having no idea what it could be, she took her seat opposite from Matt and ignored it.

If it were important, it would come to her eventually, she told herself confidently.

They were handed their menus and left to peruse them, which they did intermittently, in between snatches of small talk.

"So you said this place come highly recommended. You've never been here before then?" she asked him curiously.

He shook his head, eyes darting up to look at her over his menu. "Nah, first time. Kaz suggested it when I told her how much trouble I was having finding a place. Said it's not as well known but that they make a kickass clam sauce. Then I went and checked actual reviews from people other than just _her_ , and gave it a shot. Have you ever been here? You live here at least, so it's more likely."

"Lord, no! There are about a million restaurants in this town. This is not one I've tried before. Though it is lovely in here. So long as the food holds up, I may have to come back just on the atmosphere alone," she told him happily, gazing around at the beautiful room they were seated in.

Matt groaned. "Don't say that! That means I'll have to _thank_ Kaz for something! You know I hate doing that!"

"You are awful to that poor girl!" she cried, breaking into a light giggle. "The very least you can do is thank her when she proves to be so helpful!"

He grinned guiltily. "You're probably right. Without her, I'd probably have had to just show up at your door with an armful of takeaway. And man, that would have been a huge waste of that outfit, I can tell you that," he said, gesturing distractedly in her direction.

Deftly ignoring his compliment with no more acknowledgment that a pleased little smile, she answered, "That would have been perfectly fine with me and you know it! I probably would have gone up to change, granted, but we didn't need to go out. Boxes of Chinese would have been more than adequate to find out what you've been up to lately."

"Nah, you said it right there, you would have gone up to change and I wouldn't get to stare shamelessly at you and your one-button top there," he said, smirking, his voice low and teasing.

"Oh, please, you can't see a thing!" she told him sternly. "Unless I get up and start spinning around the room, this top is more than doing its job."

He brought his fingers to his chin, stroking it thoughtfully. "Think I can get that pianist to play something more upbeat? We could have a go across the dance floor," he said slyly, gesturing toward the very tiny area that looked like it were set aside for dancing. No one was using it currently, but Alex had no doubt that with the romantic tone of the music and that fact that they were surrounded by what looked to be two dozen or so couples all staring doe-eyed at each other, that it soon would be.

"You are a terrible, awful flirt, and I should slap you for that," she said, trying and failing to sound strict.

"Oh, come on Kingston, you love it and you know it!"

"Well, of course I do. And Lord knows I'm even worse than you are at times. But that doesn't mean I need to be encouraging you," she told him primly, purposefully lowering her eyes to her menu to avoid his gaze and risk starting off another round of giggles.

He snorted and the quiff of hair at the front of his head - smaller than it used to be but much more like what she was used to than she'd seen in pictures of him recently - flopped down over his eyes. "You _are_ worse than me - a _lot_ of the time." His tone of amusement lowered then, dripping with feigned seriousness and intent, a small confident smile making its way across his lips. "But trust me, I could keep going all night, no encouragement needed. I dare say I could even provide a bit of _encouragement_ myself, if you think you can handle it."

Alex's fingers tightened around her menu, trying and failing to lock out the chorus of possible responses singing in her head, each more inappropriate than the last, even under the circumstances. "Darling, I think you'll find that, of the two of us, it wouldn't be _me_ we'd have to worry about not being able to handle a night of encouragement," she settled on, her voice tinkling with bright, cheery laughter, appropriately hiding the way her stomach had clenched at the suggestion.

Matt's eyes held the dark, hooded look he was always so talented at adopting at will, and he looked about to respond, but just then, their waitress came around to take their drink orders.

"Good evening! My name is Eve and I'll be your server this evening!" The young woman appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and judging from Matt's small jump of surprise, Alex wasn't the only one to think so.

Like a spell, their flirty banter had been effectively put to an end.

It was probably for the best, but Alex couldn't help but feel a little put out by it. Jokingly flirting with Matt was quite honestly a favorite pastime of hers, one that she grudgingly admitted to herself that she'd missed quite dearly. It wasn't real of course, but that was just as well. Despite what certain secret parts of her mind and body would sometimes have her believe, she and Matt were and always had been just good friends. There was no sane universe in existence in which they would make the slightest sense together in any other capacity and she knew that so well that she'd never let her mind even seriously contemplate it.

But the warm feeling that spread through her every time they flirted with one another, the way he adopted his most seductive tone and his most sinful expression and how he made her feel desired, even if only for the briefest moments. Or the way his face would adopt his signature smug, naughty smirk when he said something outrageous that never failed to cause her heart to skip. Or the way his face blushed bright red when she paid him back in kind that filled her with a very strange, satisfying feeling of victory. All those things that happened whenever they were near each other, because the flirting, joking banter came as naturally to them as breathing and was never far behind when they were near one another. Those things always put the slightest impulse into her brain, one she relished but very purposefully shoved aside every time it reared it's very distracting head.

She and Matt were friends and former co-workers and they would never be anything else. Whenever any other thought popped into her brain, she told herself that she, of course, was perfectly fine with that and was more than happy just being the woman he flirted outrageously with for a friendly laugh. She only wished it didn't have to end. Ending in this moment was only another reminder that the evening would be over before she knew it and he'd be gone again, out of her reach for who knows how long.

"So, Kingston, fill me in. What's new in your life? How have things been?" Matt's voice interrupted her precession of muddled thoughts like a freight train, snapping her thread of consciousness like a twig and pulling her abruptly back to the present. The waitress had disappeared back to the kitchen and Matt looked at her interestedly over his menu, his eyes bright and friendly and eager to talk to her, all traces of his former flirtation long gone. It was yet another unneeded - yet appreciated - reminder that it was all a farce, as always, and nothing to let her sometimes overeager imagination run away with.

"Things have been good!" she tells him eagerly, not letting her straying thoughts interfere with their evening out. "Absolutely mad, but beside the lack of gaps in my schedule - I think this is my first completely free day in about two months - it's been great! Work is decent, but I still have plenty of time home with Salome, and she's doing wonderfully, so really, I've got no complaints."

Matt nodded along with her as she spoke, acknowledging the positives she listed with a grin. "Yeah? That's good! Glad to hear the poppet is doing well - though I can hardly call her that any more, can I? She must be nearing thirty by now, I think." He stopped to let her laugh at his ridiculous remark and chuckled along with her. "What about this project in Canada you just finished? What was that all about?"

And so Alex told him, launching into detail on the new series she'd been filming for. As she described her character and the intricacies that interested her in the role, Matt listened, enrapt. He listened with his whole body, his torso ramrod straight, yet leaning over the table, elbows placed almost defiantly on the table with his hands clasped together in front of him, and his face the picture of attentiveness, like her tale of characterization and freezing mornings spent on Vancouver film lots were the most fascinating story he'd ever heard.

Several minutes later, once she'd exhausted herself of interesting details to share with him, she lapsed into silence and with a slight jolt, realized she'd barely even glanced at the menu in front of her. She always hated being unprepared when a server came to take her order and it had already been much longer than usual since they'd placed their drink orders. That was something she pointed out to Matt, who looked thoughtful for a moment and he considered the time.

"Yeah, that is a bit strange that she hasn't come back yet. But it is a packed in here tonight. And hey, I'm in no rush if you aren't!" He grinned broadly at her and picked his own forgotten menu back up to study.

"No, of course I'm not. Just thought it was unusual that a place like this would take so long on the drinks and taking our order, but you're right, it's very busy tonight."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth, than Eve the waitress was gliding through the dining room, their drinks on a tray in her hands. She greeted them happily, politely, and professionally as she set the glasses down in front of them.

"Here we are! And have you made any decisions yet or would you like another minute?"

Alex and Matt shared a quick glance across the table. Neither had really given their dinner selection much thought in the previous fifteen minutes, but at the current rate, it would probably be at least that long before they were approached again. Instead of admitting they needed more time, they both took turns hemming and hawing for several more seconds, Eve standing patiently at their side, as they settled in on what to order. Once they'd each decided and Eve had disappeared back into the kitchen, they found their twin expressions of guilt meeting.

"Next time, we should maybe decide what to order _first_ and then start in on the lengthy conversation, yeah?" Matt said, half of his mouth curling into a rueful smile.

From there, they allowed themselves to start said conversation up again, this time Matt taking up the reins of professional storytelling, regaling tales from his recent block of work. He told anecdotes about issues experienced with the blond hairpiece he'd needed to wear for his role as Prince Philip and ones about the latest round of never-ending press events and interviews for his new zombie film. For every story, no matter how silly or ridiculous, Alex felt a twinge of pride for how much he'd grown as an actor and how well his career was going currently. It felt like just yesterday she'd been mentoring him on his first days on set as the Doctor and now he was juggling a filming schedule, press tours, and even still, auditions for future projects. It filled her with warmth, and simultaneously, a sense of nostalgia for the days when he still needed her to talk him through a scene or run lines with him over curry boxes in his flat.

Alex's musings were once again cut off by an outside noise - this time, by the surprised gasp of a woman sitting only a few tables away and the subsequent buzzing silence of the room as everyone went silent, she and Matt, still mid-story, included.

The young woman, still seated in her chair, was facing to her left with her hands covering her face. On one knee before her was a man in a suit, her table mate if Alex's memory and reason were to be believed. In his hands he held a small velvet box bearing a diamond ring too small to see well from such a distance, but sparkly enough to have caught Alex's attention. It was quite obvious that the man had just proposed to her, right there in the restaurant. His hands shook somewhat and his forehead was covered in a light sheen of sweat, but the beaming, loving look on his face betrayed the quiet confidence he felt in asking his question.

The woman's face was still covered by her hands, but it seemed to be in surprise and excitement rather than dismay, so it came as little surprise when she lurched forward into the embrace of her - now, supposedly - fiance, crying happy tears and accepting the ring from the box he still held in from of her.

As the newly engaged couple celebrated the happy occasion with a kiss, everyone else, customers and staff alike, broke into applause. Alex couldn't stop the wide smile breaking across her face or the stray single tear tracking down her cheek as she clapped. She glanced over at Matt and he still seemed a bit surprised by what they had witnessed, but his face bore a grin and his hands applauded just as everyone else's did.

Once all the commotion had died down, everyone slowly returned their attention back to their own meals and table mates. With her focus back on Matt, Alex now felt herself feeling a lingering prickle of wistfulness, a yearning she usually ignored for that sort of loving bond with someone. It wasn't that she had any great desire to marry again, not after the first two, but she couldn't deny it would be nice to have a man who looked at her like the young man she'd just watched propose look at the woman he loved. The fact that she felt that feeling all the more strongly when looking at Matt only made her stomach clench painfully and strengthen her resolve to not explore that dangerous train of thought any further.

"Well, that's not something you see every day!" he said exuberantly, rubbing his hands together. "I've had a few people propose during photo ops at cons, but never just while out and about randomly. What are the odds we just happen to be in the same restaurant the night something like that happens, eh?

"It is definitely something special to be witness to," she agreed, her voice hopefully not divulging her rather personal reaction to the scene they'd witnessed. She busied her hands and gave her face a moment to get back under control by taking a sip of her wine.

"Yeah. Definitely," he agreed, now sounding solemn. He held his own drink clutched tightly in both hands and looked down into it, seemingly avoiding her gaze. "And it really makes you think, you know?"

Curiosity piqued, Alex set her glass down and regarded him carefully. "Think about what, exactly?"

"You know," he answered, waving his hand in the air at the general direction of the engaged couple's table, "That. Someone."

Alex couldn't help herself. She snorted. "Oh please, darling, I find it a little hard to believe that you have any problem at all getting dates. I know for a fact you could have your choice of any woman you could possibly want!"

"Is that a fact, Kingston? _Any_ woman?" he asked smugly. But a moment later, he shook his head and adopted a serious tone again. "But I don't mean _that_. I mean someone for _good_. Permanent. That _one_ person, you know?"

"Is that something you're looking for then? Because from someone who's been married - and divorced - twice, let me just tell you, you're probably better off just letting it sneak up on you rather than actively searching it out. But you'll find someone eventually, I'm sure. And soon. It's inevitable," she told him with a shaky laugh. This new, intimate conversation was making her heart beat wildly in her chest. Her thoughts swirled like endless cyclones of shapeless words and thoughts, fit to overwhelm her at any moment. She was picturing it; Matt settled down, married to some young, beautiful, faceless woman, with children and a house and a garden and a dog and _happy_. Of course she wanted all that for him, desperately, but at the same time, the thought of it made her heart feel like it was about to shatter into a million tiny pieces. Emotion welled up in her chest as she tried to bat the attacking vision away.

"I dunno. I can't see it. I mean, I'm at a point in my life now where I _want_ it, but I just can't picture it. Not with anyone who would..." Matt cut himself off, shaking his head. He seemed to recapture his bearings and put his own emotional insecurities aside and refocused his attention on her. "What about you? Think you'll settle down and get married again?"

At that, Alex actually laughed, the wistfulness substantially toned down. "Good Lord, no! I'm pretty sure that ship has long since sailed, dear. Two failed marriages are more than enough for me."

Matt scowled at her. "Who says the next one would fail? This better not be because of your age, because you've made cracks about that before, Alex, and that just utter shite-"

"No, it's not because of my age - not entirely at least," she clarified, cutting him off. "But I'm at a place in _my_ life where I just don't need that. Sure, it would be wonderful to have someone there, permanently this time, but I'm realistic. What are the chances I would find someone who could handle all my baggage and still sign up for forever?"

Matt's eyes bored into her, hard and steady, but with a look that she felt saw right through her and her walls and vulnerabilities. It unnerved her and she suddenly felt an intense need to avert her gaze. She very narrowly managed to avoid it, continuing to meet his piercing eyes. "I think the chances are a lot better than you think. I think you've just been looking in all the wrong places. Any man would have to be mad or a right prick to get a chance with you and bugger it all up."

Alex felt a blush rise to her cheeks, her skin heating up embarrassingly. She found herself wishing their food would arrive so that she would have an excuse to pick her fork up and twirl it around just to have something distracting to do with her hands. Instead, she finally allowed her gaze to drop for just a moment as she gathered herself back together so as to not overreact to his kind words of support, as she was so prone to doing. She cleared her throat to dislodge the ball of emotion that had taken up residence.

"Yes, well, if someone _were_ to come along, I certainly wouldn't fight it. But for now, I'm more than all right on my own, not to worry," she reassured him. "I mean, what's there to complain about at the end of the day? I've got it pretty amazing, all things considered. I've got my daughter, and my family, and a stack of amazing friends. I've got my career and my home and -"

"And you've got me."

The words spilled out of his mouth, heavy and serious and palpable. Alex immediately stilled, the weight of his words not escaping her. Her eyes softened and a sentimental smile spread across her face."Well, I did say amazing friends, didn't I?"

Instantly, Matt's face lightened, and with it, his posture. Where before he'd been sunk down and crouched low over the table, his face trained studiously over her, now he sat upright, an easiness flowing throguh his frame as he allowed a silly, sly grin to form. "Yeah, but I think I'm special enough to deserve my own category, don't you?"

She honestly had no clue whether this was genuine levity or an attempt to cover up some hidden reaction to what she'd said. The thought that she may have hurt him by lumping him in with her friends, while absolutely _ludicrous_ , filled her with an acute feeling of guilt. But he was such an amazing actor, she had no way of knowing whether her suspicion was right or not.

Instead of voicing her concern, she forced herself to roll her eyes and adopted a fond, playful smile. "Yes, of course, darling," she said placatingly with a nod of her head. "Your own special category all to yourself, dedicated to the unfathomable joy you never fail to bring to my life."

"Now that's more like it!"

Before either of them could say anything else, they were interrupted by the arrival of Eve, returning to their table bearing a tray with their meals on it. She subtly alerted Matt to her arrival so that they could move their drinks out of the path of the incoming plates. Eve's approach was slow and methodical, obviously wanting to keep the tray she carried still, but as soon as she was by their side, her actions became more hurried.

"Here we are! I'm so sorry for the wait," she said remorsefully, setting Matt's dish down in front of him first and then Alex's.

Alex was about to wave her off, the surprising realization that they had indeed been waiting for their meals for over an hour at this point not bothering her in the slightest, when -

"It's just the Valentine's Day rush, you know? The kitchen has been a bit backed up and..."

Alex's whole body froze and her brain shut down, the rest of the girl's explanation buzzing only faintly in her ears. Had she just said...? Yes, she had.

_Valentine's Day._

But that couldn't be right. There's no way it could be Valentine's Day without her _knowing_. That's not a day that one simply forgot. It was always on the same day, unlike Thanksgiving, whose exact date always moved around and and which even after two decades of living in America, still always managed to sneak up on her.

But thinking about it, that certainly put a lot of things from the past couple of days into perspective. The busy shopping crowds yesterday. The romantic proposal. Salome plan's with her friends. Matt's difficulty finding an open table -

 _Matt_.

She glanced up sharply, seeking his face out to gauge his reaction. Did he _know_? Was he under the impression that _this_ was -?

But no, her answer was answered immediately upon setting her gaze on him. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his mouth was hanging open, slack-jawed. He was very obviously just as blindsided as she was. That was oddly comforting to Alex, who was trying hard to remember to breathe through her shock. No matter what that tiny part of her brain that she'd spent the better part of two days ignoring whispered in her ear, she and Matt were only friends. Her own ridiculous and borderline inappropriate feelings aside, there was no way that Matt felt anything in reciprocation. He never would have asked her out tonight _knowing_ \- his shock had to be the same as hers.

Unless, of course, he was only surprised by _her_ surprise...

"Is everything all right?"

Alex blinked, forcing her eyes to focus on the worried looking young woman gazing down at both she and Matt as if convinced they were both about to pass out. Alex didn't blame her. She almost felt like that could be a possibility.

Matt continued to stare blankly ahead, directly at Alex, uncomprehending of the poor waitress next to them. Alex took it upon herself to placate her. After a false start, in which her voice simply refused to cooperate and only expressed a mortifying, mangled little squeak, she cleared her throat and tried again.

"Yes. Yes, we're fine, thank you."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her mind went back to incoherently buzzing, making her thoughts completely indecipherable. Eve, mollified, though still eyeing them worriedly, left them alone and made her way back across the room. Alex was glad for her to be gone, but a small part of her wished for her to stay. Now, with no one else around as a buffer, she and Matt would be left _alone_ again.

They were both silent for a few moments, their eyes locked together and each at a loss for words, until -

"Matt -"

"Alex, I -"

A split second pause. And then -

"I didn't -"

"Did you -?"

They both stopped abruptly. The awkwardness of talking over each other just too much on top of everything else. They went back to staring at each other in shock for a few more seconds, the tension rising and a foreign, tingling feeling crawling up her spine until Alex felt like if one of them didn't say something immediately, she would, quite simply, explode.

Only a moment later, that's exactly what she did. Luckily, Matt saw fit to join her and may, in fact, have actually beaten her to it if anyone were paying attention.

The laughter they both expelled simultaneously sure as hell guaranteed the people closest to them were paying attention after, though. The nearest tables as well as the few couples moving together on the dance floor all couldn't seem to help craning their necks over. Uncaring about the spectacle they were making of themselves, Alex felt the tide of ridiculousness soar through her body, washing away, even if only just for this moment, all traces of stress and awkwardness and uncertainty. She laughed harder than she could ever remember laughing and she might have felt awful about it if it weren't for Matt, sitting right across from her, very clearly struggling to get a breath in amidst his guffaws.

Slowly, very slowly, their joint mirth teetered off into less attention-worthy chuckles and their onlookers began to return to their own Valentine's dinners, leaving Matt and Alex to their relative obscurity. As they both brought themselves back under control, Alex finally found her voice.

"I'm sorry, darling," she started between the remainder of her giggles. "It's just - I had _no idea_! And I assume you -?"

"Not a clue!" he answered back, giddy as ever, rubbing his hand over half his face, still in shock.

"How the hell did _both_ of us manage to forget?" she asked, shaking her head incredulously.

"Blimey, Kingston, we've both been beyond knackered and run ragged lately. Is it really any wonder that's we've both been blind as bats?"

"You're right. You're definitely right," she told him, stopping momentarily to take a sip from her water glass. She was flushed and still having trouble getting her breathing quite under control from the simply uncontrollable laughter and the water helped. "Last night was the first decent night's sleep I've had in weeks and I've had so much to do lately, the date just slipped completely from my head. I didn't even think!"

"My God, I've been so swamped with filming and interview after interview after interview, the fact that Valentine's Day was this weekend never even crossed my mind for a _second_!" he chucked heartily. Both hands were now haphazardly running through his hair, making even more of a mess of it.

Alex giggled more at the sight of him, animated face, cheeks red from laughter, and his hair sticking up all over the place. She let her thoughts stray to earlier today, to Salome and her plans with her friends that she had been completely oblivious to. "Just earlier today, Salome went off to her dad's and was having a bunch of her girlfriends over for a sleepover and I had no clue this was what it was for! She even said they were going to talk about boys and eat candy all night. How could I not -?" She instantly quieted, an epiphany hitting her as she thought back on the interaction with her daughter earlier in the day. " _Oh my God_!"

"What? What is it?" The laughter disappeared from Matt's face as he sat up straight, obviously worried.

"Nothing! Nothing, I just - my God, Salome thinks we're on a date!"

" _What_?" Matt choked out, face turning red again, but whether that was from bluster or embarrassment, Alex had no idea.

Alex tried her best to explain, doing her level best to avoid burying her face in her hands. "She was worried about me being alone tonight - I supposed since it's Valentine's Day and she wasn't going to be home and it isn't like I'm seeing anyone - so I told her I had plans. That we were going to dinner tonight. And she was so _shocked_! And upset that I hadn't told her before! She kept going on about how we were going out _tonight_ and I couldn't figure out why it was such a big deal! Oh my God, how do I explain this?"

Matt was busy wiping tears of amusement from his eyes and gasping in breaths of air as he struggled not to burst out into noticeable laughter again. "That daughter of yours has got some imagination, I'd say. I mean, how could she think you'd ever give - hang on!" His words and his laughter died abruptly again, some realization evidently taking place in his brain now. "You realize who else knew what we were doing tonight? And who probably got a _ton_ of private laughs out of it when she realized we had no clue?"

Alex took half a second to think before it came to her. "Karen!" she exclaimed with a gasp, realizing the hand the fiery redhead had played in tonight's shock. Back during the meeting in the cafe the day before, Karen had tried to protest their dinner plans several times, evidently catching what the both of them had missed. She'd made reference to her own Valentine's Day plans. She'd mocked them. And then she'd sat back and let them plot the whole fiasco anyway.

"I'll kill her!" Matt groaned out, hands clenched into fists on top of the table. Nonetheless, Alex could see in his eyes he held no real anger. The threat in them was merely that of retaliation, and Alex dearly looked forward to hearing about how he would exact his revenge later on.

After convincing Matt that finding a way into tricking Karen into shaving her head again somehow might be going a little too far, they both settled down to start in on their forgotten meals. They both found themselves breaking off into soft, disbelieving little giggles every now and again, but mostly managed to speak normally, the topic of conversation continuing with that of their shared absentmindedness.

"So, tell me," Alex started a few minutes later, feeling a little daring. She's just swallowed a bite of chicken and washed it down with a sip of wine for courage. "If this were a real date, what would you be doing right now?"

Matt choked on his food and his eyes bulged in their sockets. He continued coughing for a few more seconds, using his hand to signal that he was all right and not in any danger of dying. When he'd recovered, his face was tinged pink and his voice was unsteady. "What do you mean 'what would I be doing if this were a real date?'"

Alex grinned impishly. "Well, here I am, Valentine's Day, without an actual date to spend the night with, and with one of the flirtiest men I've ever met in my life as company. If I can't experience the real thing for myself, I should at least get to see your proper moves that you'd do when actually out with a girl."

Matt gaped at her, a silly, embarrassed smile starting to bloom on his ridiculously red face. "I can't just perform on command, Kingston! And - and I don't have _moves!_ That's just ridiculous!" he groused without conviction.

"You're trying to tell me that when you're out with a woman and you're trying to get another date or trying to get her into bed or whatever it is you're trying to do, you don't have any go-to moves? Then I am forced to believe that you, Matt, are simply all bark and no bite," she told him, feigned disappointment dripping from her voice, her fork pointed accusingly in his direction.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I am _all_ bite!" he shot back heatedly, pointing his finger at her.

She merely quirked an eyebrow and let her completely natural amusement creep onto her face.

"I didn't mean-! I mean... if it's something she _likes_ , then sure, but - bugger!" He scrunched his eyes closed, trying to regain his composure as Alex stifled a laugh at his expense. He eventually sat up straight, looking resoute. "Fine. You wanna know what I'd do if this were a real date? I would have pulled out your seat when we sat down. And then I would have kissed you on the cheek, but just under your ear, so you'd be wondering whether it was meant to be on the cheek or your neck all through dinner."

A shiver went through Alex at the thought, knowing full well that that's exactly what she would have done all night if he'd actually acted the scenario out. She forced herself to laugh at him instead of making it known how the idea implanted in her head was affecting her. "And then what?"

He thought for a moment, a serious, focused, incredibly sexy look on his face and Alex was suddenly finding it hard to breathe steadily. "At some point, I would have found a good moment in the conversation to reach across and casually grab your hand." He demonstrated by doing exactly that, his long, bony fingers creeping slowly towards her hand on the table. His movement was hesitant but determined as his hand covered hers. The feel of his warm skin on top of her hand was nice and pleasing, but when his fingers started to delicately stroke the back of her wrist, an even more ever-pleasant bolt of electricity ran straight through Alex's arm, a heat rising up her chest and her breath catching in her lungs. "And I'd stroke your wrist just like this and I'd keep a hold on you as long as I could without it being too obvious that I didn't wanna ever let go."

"And -" She stopped to clear her throat, her voice failing her yet again. "And then what would you do?" Her voice was almost a whisper, encouraging him to continue in this ridiculous farce. Part of her was regretting roping them into this exercise of make-believe, but another, larger part was enjoying it all too much to do anything but enjoy it.

Another moment while he thought, his brows scrunching together beautifully. He glanced over his shoulder at the small handful of couples dancing along to the crooning voice of the pianist. He turned back to her, his face delighted. "If this were a real date, there's no way I'd let you leave this restaurant without getting you out on that dance floor just once," he told her with a wink, nodding towards the little area separate from the main dining area.

Then he did something that shocked her. He stood up, hand still holding hers, and looked down at her brazenly. "So what do you say, Alex? Dance with me?"

"But - I don't -" Her breath had caught in her chest and her brain was whirring along faster than she could keep up with. She stared up at him, face frozen in wide-eyed confusion. Was he -?

"Just because we're _not_ on an real date, doesn't mean I wouldn't be an idiot to not try and get a dance out of you anyway." The fragile smile adorned on his face made Alex's heart pulse achingly.

Hesitantly, brain and heart warring within her, she squeezed his hand reassuringly and found herself smiling up at him. His smile shifted into a relieved grin as he helped pull her from her chair and led her to the dance floor. It wasn't a large space, especially with multiple couples making use of it and it left little room for anything other than a basic slow dance. Which was all well and good, because even with the smoothness that Matt was currently exhibiting, Alex didn't particularly trust him with anything more complicated.

The pianist off in the corner had been singing soft, slow, romantic songs to accompany his playing all night long and exactly as Alex and Matt stepped out onto the dance floor, the previous song ended and a new one started up again. Adopting an encouraging smile, Matt held her hand more properly for dancing and wrapped his free hand around her back. Alex followed suit and placed her hand gingerly on his shoulder, clutching onto the soft material of his jacket as they started to sway very gently to the music.

They both made sure to keep a distance between them, not letting their torsos touch. Normally, Alex wouldn't mind dancing pressed up close to someone she knew and trusted, but this whole situation with Matt was leading her mind down places it shouldn't go, trying to convince her faltering heart that things were happening, that long-repressed feelings were being reciprocated that weren't, and dancing pressed up close to him would only exacerbate that problem, she was convinced.

But his hand was at the small of her back and his fingers were brushing gentle shapes into her skin and he stared at her in a way that made her pulse race in her veins. The look in his eyes said - or seemed to say - so much and Alex let herself contemplate for just a moment what would happen if it weren't just her imagination. If Matt really was looking at her with that deep, profound way. If all the flirtation and the jokes and the demonstration of his date moves were all genuine. If this dance were really so much more than it was meant to be on the surface. Every second of their dance that passed, another minuscule part of Alex started to accept it as a possibility and it frightened her. Because this was _Matt_. She'd entertained the notion of this in the back of her head for years, but the prospect of making a leap of faith and being wrong, or of losing him - no matter how little of him she'd had of him recently - made her want to push that possibility back into the deep recesses of her mind and trap her heart into the safe, secure cage she'd been keeping it in.

"So, Alex, I showed you mine. How about you show me yours?" Matt's low, rumbling voice murmured down at her, jarring her from her thoughts. Instantly, her mind filled with utterly filthy thoughts she wouldn't normally hesitate to counter with. Even earlier tonight she wouldn't have. But the startling shock of the holiday they were accidentally celebrating together had thrown her entirely off her axis, unsure about absolutely everything. Nonetheless, his cheeky request deserved a cheeky answer and she mustered up the courage to reply in kind.

"Darling, I think everyone in England has seen mine at one point or another. Though I supposed I could just undo the last button of this cardigan and give you a quick flash if you're really insistent," she chuckled half-heartedly as they swayed to the melodic words of the piano player

"Good God, woman, you are such a bloody tease!" Matt chucked, his grip tightening on her waist. "But seriously, what would you do?"

"If this were a real date?" she said non-noncommittally. The music in the background was reverberating in her very bones. They danced to a song that was obviously geared towards lovers, with declarations of devotion and permanence, and in the quietness between the two of them in this short moment, Alex wished it _were_ a real date.

Matt hummed his affirmation, and the sound of his quiet murmur made her step in closer to him instinctively. Wanting to divert his attention from that, she used her hasty movement and jumped on the opportunity.

"Well, first of all, I'd step in much closer to you. Forget the daylight between us," she said clearly, her voice showcasing a confidence she didn't entirely feel, and stepped even _closer_ towards him. She did exactly what her words described and closed the distance between them completely, brushing her breasts up against his chest daringly. "If this were a real date, I'd want to be as close to you as possible. And this would be the perfect opportunity."

With their newfound closeness, Alex could clearly see the way his Adam's apple bobbed in his neck when he swallowed harshly. Their dancing form had to be adjusted somewhat to accommodate their new position. Their joined hands came in closer to their sides, Matt's hand wrapping more securely around her waist, long fingers tickling her sides, and Alex's hand on his shoulder rose higher to rest around the middle of his upper back.

"And then I'd probably do something like this," she said, lowering her head to his chest, resting it right in the center of the soft, black tee he wore and smiling gently at the rapid pounding of his heart beneath her ear. She stretched her fingers over to the back of his neck and used her nails to scrape gently through the short, soft trail of hair at his nape. She could feel his pleased little shudder under her own skin, and rushes of both heat and warmth, two very separate and wonderful feelings, spread through her body.

"That's - erm - that's quite good." He let out a shaky laugh. She answered only with a content little hum of acknowledgment.

From there, they were silent, enjoying the rest of the song as they moved slowly around the dance floor in time to the music. It wasn't long after resting her head on his chest that Matt lowered his cheek to lay against her. His skin everywhere they touched was hot, burning into her own equally flushed skin. Alex knew she should examine what was happening between them, should talk to him about it, should find out for sure one way or the other what this was. She didn't know what would happen in five minutes or an hour or tomorrow, but right in this exact moment, she couldn't bring herself to do that. She wanted to enjoy this while it lasted and she was just selfish enough and enough silly to do that for herself.

It was very reluctantly that they slowly pulled apart at the end of the song. They shared a lingering, tentative smile before they started walking back to their table, Matt's hand resting on the small of her back the whole way, imprinting a fiery stamp where his hand lay, even through her clothes. He surprised her again, when he walked ahead of her when they reached their seats and pulled her chair out for her.

Stunned, his earlier words echoing in her ears, she let him tuck the chair under her as she sat. The real surprised, however, came when, true to his word, he leaned in and brushed his lips discretely against the very edge of her cheek, right beneath her ear and directly next to her pulse point. Like he'd said, it wasn't quite on the cheek and it wasn't quite on her neck, but nonetheless, with the the way his lips lingered against her skin, his intention was clear.

With that one innocent and yet oh, so purposeful kiss, everything about the whole dizzying night fell apart and came together again in one fell swoop.

They both valiantly tried to finish off the remainder of their meals, but when Eve approached their table only a few short minutes later, they shared a heated look and Matt asked for the check. Under normal circumstances, Alex would offer to pay, or at the very least insist on splitting the check, but the look on Matt's face told her to not even bother. He paid as quickly as the still-bustling Valentine's Day service allowed him to and then they were back in his car, buckling themselves in and making the drive back to Alex's house.

They'd shared very few words since sitting back at the table, a few attempts at small talk and the minimum required as they were leaving, but nothing substantial. Alex's mind was racing a mile a minute and in a million different directions. By the tense, concentrated look on Matt's face and the tight grip he had on the steering wheel, the inside of his head probably looked very similar. The rest of the ride was silent, and Alex spent the entirely of it looking at Matt's profile out of the corner of her eye, trying to make sense out of her speeding thoughts.

Was it possible that she'd misinterpreted that kiss? That it was just another moment of friendly flirtation, a continuation of the game that _she'd_ started? Maybe he'd just been trying to keep pace with her, who after all had gone so far as to initiate such an intimate dancing position just minutes before? It was certainly possible. If it had happened during any other meeting with Matt, on any other day of the year, she wouldn't hesitate to say he hadn't meant it the way she was interpreting it.

But no, it didn't happen any other night. It happened this night. A night filled with bared hearts and flirtation and dancing, with romantic music, candlelit tables, a game that had seemed less and less hypothetical the longer they'd played. And when she thought back to the moment when his lips had ghosted against the edge of her cheek, to when they had lingered for just a second too long, to the small, tender smile curling on his lips when he sat back down, she knew, from a place deep within herself that had rarely failed her before, that he'd not been playing a game. He'd done it purposefully and intentionally and because he'd wanted to.

She just didn't know what that meant. For them. For tonight. For tomorrow.

He was driving her home right now, but what would happen when they got there? Would he let her get out of the car and let this whole thing slip away into the abyss, never to be spoken of again, a night where they'd both let their lesser judgements get the better of them? Or... something else? Something obscure and elusive, a dozen possibilities floating through her mind, each both less and more likely than the last?

When they finally pulled into her drive, they sat in continued silence, neither moving or saying a word for several seconds. Matt swiftly shut the engine and continued staring ahead out the windshield, his grip on the wheel still tight. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, purposeful, and steadied.

"Well, home sweet home. _Casa de Kingston_." A beat. "Here, I'll walk you to the door. Never know who's hanging around these swanky neighborhoods at night, after all."

"Yeah, all right." Her palms were starting to sweat, her heart was racing, and the only decipherable thought in her brain was that she felt like a bloody teenager coming home from her first date, butterflies in her stomach as her crush walked her to her door.

They exited the car and when Matt joined her on her side, nearest the house, his hand went to the small of her back once again, guiding her gently along the stone walkway towards her front door. She could feel him sneaking glances at her out of the corner of her eye, could see him doing it even before, in the car, as he drove. But now his eyes weren't required for driving, only walking, which he admittedly had trouble with at times, but he was certainly taking advantage of his newfound freedom, because she could feel the heat of his gaze with nearly every step they took. Her stomach continued to flutter.

They reached her door. It had only been a couple dozen feet, but the time had stretched and it had felt like they'd walked much further. Now Matt dropped his hand from her waist and stepped back to a more respectable distance. He shoved his hands in his pockets and continued to look at her.

"I had a _really_ great time tonight, Matt," she told him earnestly, wanting to impress upon him how much she meant it.

"Yeah? Me too," he said gently. The delighted smile that lit up his face was modest but genuine. He was biting the inside of his lip, obviously contemplating his next words. "We should really do this again sometime."

"Yes, I agree. We definitely should."

"I mean it," he said a bit more enthusiastically. "I had a great time. I always have a great time with you. I've missed you."

"I mean it too," she said and gave an emphatic nod of her head. "Anytime you're in town, and I'll call you up when I'm in London. I've missed you too, darling."

He inhaled a breath a bit more sharply that usual, just enough to be noticed. He was quiet for a moment and Alex was just getting ready to scold herself for thinking anything else might happen when they got to this point, to simply say goodnight and head inside, when he seemed to gather himself enough to say what he wanted.

"You know, if this were a date, I'd really want to kiss you right about now."

There was silence for a few moments, during which Alex felt a delighted smile dawn on her face. She ran her hand through her hair, pushing a section of it back and away from her face. "Well, if this were a date, I'd really want you to kiss me right about now."

In the space of only a few short seconds, a grin bloomed on his face, he was stepping closer, and then his lips were on her. She could feel the suppressed desperation in his frame but he kissed her delicately, as if he couldn't quite believe he was allowed to, as if he were afraid of breaking her with only his lips. One hand went to clutch at her hip while the other buried itself deep into her curls and cupping the back of her head. It was a sweet kiss, but it stole her breath away instantly. Her lips moved against his and when his questing tongue snaked across her mouth, she happily granted him access.

He tasted like tomato sauce and the premium beer he'd ordered with dinner, but there was also that distinct sweet taste she remembered from all the times they had done this before, always under very different circumstances, that ever-elusive, ever-intoxicating taste that just screamed _Matt_.

When they broke apart a few seconds later, they were both panting slightly and smiling and Matt was resting his forehead against hers. Both his hands were now up by her face, pushing her curls behind her ears as an excuse to stroke her cheeks.

"I've been wanting to do that for a very _long_ time," he admitted, breathless.

"The feeling is _entirely_ mutual, darling." She grinned, feeling positively weightless, and brought both of her hands up to press against either side of his chest. She paused for a moment and bit the inside of her lip, considering her options. "You know, if this were a date, I'd probably be inviting you in for tea right now."

Matt's head reared back so she could see the delighted, eager look on his face. He agreed instantly with her suggestion and she disentangled herself from him to turn and open the door. She felt his gaze on her behind the entire time and did her best to refrain from grinning smugly to herself.

She let herself in and ushered Matt in after her. She flicked the lights for the front room on while he shut the door behind them. Everything looked exactly as she'd left it just a few short hours ago. It was unfathomable that something so profound had changed in the short span of time that she'd been gone. She still didn't know exactly what this thing between she and Matt was or where it would lead, but it was most certainly a _Thing_ , something she never would have believed earlier in the day.

She turned from setting her purse down on a side table and jumped in surprise when she found him standing right behind her, with barely any space between them. His eyes were locked on hers, boring into her and she wanted nothing more right now that to kiss him senseless. To steal every bit of air from his lungs. To feel his hands on her in places she'd never even allowed herself to imagine them in before.

She looked up at him, her gaze now just as determined and searching as his. In another moment, she was pressed up against the wall and he was kissing her again, warm hands framing her face as their lips moved together. His tongue moved insistently against hers and she let it, loving the feel of it as he hungrily explored her mouth. Her nails scraped along the nape of his neck like they had earlier on the dance floor and the resulting shiver that ran down his spine was enough to tear them apart.

"Still in the mood for that tea?" she asked breathlessly, her chest heaving.

He stood there, panting, as he gazed hungrily at her, his fingers playing with a stray lock of her hair. "To be honest, if this were a date... I wouldn't be at all interested in tea right now," he said with a tiny shake of his head.

"That's perfect," she said, still catching her breath. "Because if this were a date, this would be where I admit that I ran out of tea this afternoon."

She wasn't sure if he was more amused or aroused by her confession, but when he kissed her for a third time, his lips were curled into a wide beam and the hips pressed against her certainly betrayed the latter. His hands were roaming feverishly over her body now, not content to stay in one place. Likewise, Alex could no longer keep her hands still, needing to touch his skin. As Matt's hands found a temporary home over her breasts, Alex busied herself with burying one hand into his normally perfectly coiffed locks of hair while the other teased under the front hem of his shirt. He was burning and the skin of his stomach jumped under the touch of her hand.

The attention he was paying to her breasts were wringing breathy gasps from her mouth, his fingers knowing just where and how to touch her to pull sounds from her. It was all she could do to not imagine them on another part of her entirely. Putting the thought aside, she stroked her fingers high up his stomach beneath his shirt and gently ran her nails back down to where she'd started.

He gasped into her mouth and then pulled away, darting his head down at an angle to latch onto her neck. With a pleasure-filled moan, Alex dropped her head back against the wall, angling to give him a better position to mouth at and he hummed appreciatively at her efforts. His tongue was licking at the juncture of her neck, followed by lips and teeth in quick succession. The hand she had in his hair kept him pressed in place and she scraped her nails deliciously across his scalp.

Wanting, needing, things to continue moving along, she placed both of her hands up on his shoulder, grasping the lapels of his coat in her grip. Now that the floodgates were opened, years of restrained desire were taking root in her, begging to be let loose and take what she'd always secretly desired, what they'd both desired. Because when he'd kissed her outside, he'd said he'd been wanting to kiss her for 'a long time'. Not 'all night', like she'd been half-expecting. _A long time_. Maybe later she'd let herself ruminate on that golden nugget of information and what it meant exactly, but for now she only wanted to stop depriving them of something they'd both so clearly wanted. She pushed his coat down his shoulder, off his accommodating arms, and tossed it to the floor behind him, right there between her entranceway and sitting room. His t-shirt quickly followed, leaving him bare chested.

That fanned the flames of their mutual desperation. His hands were slipping beneath the open front of her top, his fingers sliding enticingly over her stomach, up her sides, and palming her breasts with only her bra still in the way now. His mouth returned to her lips and she eagerly took control of the kiss this time, running her tongue temptingly over his lips before diving into him. She stroked her tongue over his and then sucked it into her mouth, ripping a whimper from his throat. Obviously enjoying the himself, Matt scraped his nails gently over the silk covering her nipples in retaliation, earning himself a heavy gasp. Instead of stopping the kiss, she only pressed on, releasing his tongue and licking over his teeth and the inside of his mouth.

When she felt his hand in the center of her chest, undoing the single button holding her cardigan together, she _did_ allow the kiss to end, resting her head on the wall again, this time to get a better look down at what he was doing. Matt dragged his fingertips down her body, from chest to stomach, right over the front of her bra. and his head lowered to her breasts.

"God, you're gorgeous," he mumbled appreciatively into her cleavage, kissing and nipping at the swell of her breasts. "Most fucking beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life."

She pulled him away from her chest by his hair and thanked him for his compliment with a frenzied kiss, her teeth biting at his bottom lip.

He groaned into her mouth and pushed her open cardigan from her shoulders, tossing it behind his back to join his suit jacket on the floor. His hand immediately dropped down her back and expertly unhooked her bra, pushing the straps down her shoulders, and pulling the restricting garment from her body, dropping it without a second thought. He palmed both breasts again, this time with no barriers between his hands and her skin. His palms scraped perfectly against her nipples and she was already mid-moan when his fingertips danced across them, brushing against and flicking and tugging.

Pleasure shot through Alex's body and her moan increased in pitch, her chest thrusting out, seeking more contact. Taking the hint, he used his hand to push one breast up towards his mouth, allowing him to take one hardened nipple into his mouth without bending down too far.

"Oh God, darling, yes!" she cried out, the stimulation of his tongue laving over her too much to maintain her silence. He licked at her, he twirled his tongue around the hardened peak, he suckled at her greedily, his teeth grazed lightly over her. Unable to contain herself, she undulated against the wall, needing more, wishing he had two mouths - _no_ , she corrected herself, feeling his spare hand sneak down her body, hitch up her skirt, and dart their way up her thighs, _three_. Three mouths would definitely be best.

Alex shifted to a position more amenable to grinding her leg against his erection just as his fingers found her warmth, stroking her over her now soaked knickers. His thumb found her swollen clit, rubbing circles over it as she whimpered. He dropped his head to her shoulder and his fingers pushed her knickers aside, quickly plunging two fingers inside her.

Alex's head flew back, thumping against the wall. But the pain from that was nothing compared to the pure pleasure of his long, wide-knuckled fingers thrusting inside her, in and out, rapidly building her up to a quick release. She'd always had an intense, secret kink for those fingers of his, always having to stop herself from imagining them curling deep within her during late-night sessions with her rabbit. Now she's glad she'd denied herself the enjoyment of her guilty pleasure. Her imagination wouldn't even have come close to the reality of his actual, physical fingers working their magic in her.

She bared down, grinding herself against his hand, getting more and more worked up and closer to the edge with every stroke of his fingers, now curling deliciously up inside her. Her hips moved in counterpoint to his hand and Matt was evidently even more turned on by that, she realized. His head had turned back in towards her neck, mumbling words of encouragement against her skin, his own hips rocking rhythmically against her knee.

"There you go, Alex, take what you need from me. You're so close. I can feel it in the way you're clamping down on my fingers, drawing them up inside you. Christ, I wish you actually could. I wish I could just stay like this forever, my fingers buried in your hot, wet cunt, you constantly on the verge of coming for me."

His voice was like liquid sex, the velvety texture to it spurring her on just as much as his hand. Her hands grasped hold of his shoulders, using his whole body as leverage to keep herself in motion counterpoint to his movements. Her gasps and moans started erupting even more frequently and at higher decibels when he added a third finger, propelling her even closer to their shared goal. "You're so fucking perfect, sweetheart, always, but especially like this. Like this, you're so much better than I imagined, and I imagined quite a lot. I just need you to come for me, Alex, please, let me hear you come for me."

With only a few more powerful pumps of his fingers, there she was, the tightening coil in her stomach finally breaking, letting loose the wave of tension that had build up inside her. She cried out, fingers digging sharply into his shoulders, and instantly, his mouth was over hers, drinking in the sounds of her orgasm. His fingers slowed against her, and when she'd finally finished shaking, pulled out completely.

"You're quite handy to have around," she said breathlessly, laughing in short little bursts. "I might just have to keep you."

"Yeah? Well, my fingers - and any other appendages on my person - are yours for the keeping. You only have to say the word," he laughed happily, obviously, Alex noted, not in the slightest bit thrown off by her comment about keeping him longer than just the night. "Just so you know, there is much more where that came from. Much _better_ too. I guarantee it."

Humming contentedly, she glanced down and gave his bulging erection an appreciative nod. "Somehow, I don't doubt that a bit."

She leaned in and kissed him, mind not quite back to normal functioning. When they pulled apart again, the sight of him licking his fingers delightedly, sucking her juices from each of them, made her hungry for the taste of him. Still half-stunned, knees a little wobbly, she lowered her hand to stroke at the tent in his trousers. He groaned into her mouth, back stiffening. She cupped him pointedly and then deftly undid button and zip of his trousers. She reached inside his pants and grasped hold of the long, thick length of him, thumb rolling over his head and pumping him expertly.

With her free hand and a little help from Matt, they managed to shove his pants and trousers down his hips. He stepped out of them awkwardly, kicking them and his shes off behind him while she continued to slide her hand along his pulsing cock. She was just about slink her way down his body, intent on taking him into her mouth, when he grasped hold of her shoulders, keeping her upright.

At her confused look, Matt shook his head, his teeth grit. "I won't make it, love. What do you say we make our way to your bed? Or at least the couch?"

She considered his proposition. Her bedroom was all the way upstairs. The journey far too long for her to reasonably have patience for. The couch was only a few yards away and it would certainly be more comfortable... but there was something incredibly sexy in the thought of shagging Matt right there against her entranceway wall. She shook her head. "Right here. Take me right here."

His eyes widened in surprise but quickly they clouded over with a fiery lust. Quickly he turned around and ducked, reaching for his discarded trousers. While he busied himself with searching throguh his wallet for a condom, Alex shimmied her way out of her skirt and knickers and kicked her shoes off her feet. Seconds later, Matt was back in front of her, a foil packet held triumphantly in his hands. Quickly tearing it open, he rolled the condom down his erection, then leaned in and took her face in his hands, kissing her thoroughly.

Impatient and needing him inside her properly, Alex snaked her leg up over his hip encouragingly, pulling him flush up against her. "Matt," she said, gasping, "I believe you have a guarantee to live up to."

He groaned and grabbed hold of her thigh, lifting it higher still over his hip. "Miss Kingston, it will be my pleasure," he said, sending a thrill of anticipation shooting down her spine.

With one hand, he took hold of his cock and settled himself in place at her entrance. A moment's pause, during which his other hand tenderly stroked her face, and then he was sliding inside. Her tight, wet walls throbbed in pure gratification of being filled. And he filled her so nicely, too, the thick, long hardness of him stretching her _so_ perfectly, sending waves of bliss sooting through her entire body just at that first thrust.

They each let out a heady gasp and Alex's head hit the wall for a second time. Before she knew it, Matt had taken hold of her other thigh and was lifting her off her one standing foot, urging her to wrap her second leg securely around his back as he helped her up, hands gripping round underneath her arse, giving it experimental little squeezes. Without needing prompting, he started to move, quickly thrusting out and back into her. Not content being an idle participant, Alex grasped hold of his shoulders, using his frame as leverage again, bouncing herself as best she could up and down his cock.

The angle and the force of their coupling was sending the head of his cock plunging into her perfectly, hitting that magic spot inside her that made her see stars, all the while her clit scraped exquisitely against his stomach on every downward motion of her hips. Second by second, thrust by thrust, Alex felt her whole body start to tremble, could feel that coil in her stomach tightening for the second time tonight, could hear her own shrieks of pleasure echoing in her ears. Matt was no better off. After only a few minutes of pumping inside her, he was already beginning to lose rhythm, his hips thrusting wildly against her, racing her to the finish line. His gasps and moans were intense, panted and cried into her ear, his face rubbing against her cheek wildly, odd scattered kissed flitting across whatever skin he could reach. Both of their cries were increasing, building to a crescendo, the only question being who would be the first one to break.

In the end, it was Alex. Her whole body stiffened and she reached that all-consuming, white hot ecstasy and she screamed, high-pitched and uncontrolled. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, _Matt_!" Her fingers flew out to clutch further down his back, her nails digging in and dragging along his skin, surely creating trails of scratches.

Once the most intense waves of pleasure rolling throguh her had ceased, she started encouraging Matt to find his own release. She rubbed her hands soothingly along his back where she'd just marked him, continued to meet his thrusts, and managed to angle her head just right to scrape her teeth along the juncture of his neck. The last bit seemed to do the trick. After two more jerking thrusts, Matt came with a cry of her name on his lips, muffled by his face buried in her shoulder where he bit down. He released himself deep inside her, continuing his thrusts at gradually slower speeds until he eventually came to a complete stop.

The stayed exactly where they were for a few more minutes, each trying to regain their breaths and calm their beating hearts. Alex leaned her head back and searched his mouth out, kissing him lazily, disoriented still by the flush of post-orgasmic hormones racing through her system. When the broke apart, Matt pressed a wet, shaky kiss to her temple and his fingers stroked lovingly at the thighs she still had wrapped around his waist.

Alex was just about to unwrap her legs and motion for him to set her down, when instead, he pulled her legs all the more tightly about his waist and pushed off from the wall. Alex shrieked, arms pinwheeling as she tried desperately to keep her balance. But Matt seemed perfectly at ease carrying her weight and instead, walked them over to the sofa, his softened cock still buried inside her until he lifted her and dropped her carefully onto the cushions.

She scrambled to sit up and make room for him to join her, which he did all too happily. They stretched out together along the length of the sofa, huddled against each other, a tanged mess of slightly sweaty limbs. They were silent for a minute and Alex enjoyed listening to his heartbeat return to normal, as he busied himself drawing idle shapes into her bare hip. She felt so utterly content in this moment, she almost couldn't bear to say anything and risk breaking the perfection. But she had to know what this _meant_.

"So that was...?" she started hesitantly, fingers curling contently around his bicep, hoping for a response she wasn't sure she had any right or reason to hope for.

"Absolutely bloody fucking _fantastic_?" he answered, only a little cheekily.

Alex laughed. "Yes. Definitely. Absolutely incredible. Far beyond anything I could have ever imagined." She then swatted at his chest playfully when the smug, satisfied look bloomed on his face. "But what I meant was, that just now was... what exactly?"

Matt leaned up onto one elbow, looking down at her against the back of the sofa with interest and barely guarded hope. "That was... whatever you wanted it to be, I guess?"

"What does that mean? I just don't know what you... expect now, going forward."

He regarded her carefully. "It means that this can mean whatever you want it to mean. I don't... expect anything. Not really. I mean, I'd love nothing more than to make this a regular thing and come around all the time and worm my way into every single facet of your life for the rest of forever, but I understand how that _may_ come off as a little clingy," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "So if you just want this to be a one-time thing or a casual thing or a let's-see-how-it-goes thing, well, I guess I'll just take what I can get and be grateful I got anything at all."

Alex's mind buzzed loudly, trying to wrap itself around what Matt had just said. Lord knows she'd wanted exactly this for far longer than she was willing to admit, in some deep, secret part of her being. She wanted him, in every way, in her bed, in her life, however she could get him. Were there issues they would have to deal with, their pronounced age difference, her daughter, the bi-continental distance between them most of the time just to start with? Of course. She doubted she'd be able to get too terribly settled into the idea of this without having serious discussions about everything. But this feeling, laying here with him, his arms wrapped possessively around her, this made it all seem worth the issues that lay before them.

"I think I'm quite fond of that first option... if you're sure that's what _you_ want."

Matt gaped at her. "Are you _mad_? Of course that's what I want! It's what I've _always_ wanted! How could anyone _not_?"

She reached out and pulled him back into a flat position, laying her head back on his chest and sighing happily. "Just checking, darling. We'll have to figure some things out, preferably before you go back to England, but it'd be a lie if I said I didn't want the same things you do. That I haven't for ages." She pressed a kiss to his chest.

He laughed happily, twirling a curl of her hair over his finger. "I promise to make it well worth the effort. And I'm here for the rest of the week at least, and outside of a few meetings, I'm all yours. Whenever you can spare time for me at least. I know you have your own things, and Sal of course."

"Salome is with Florian for the week," she said neutrally. "I think I'll be able to fit you in somewhere here and there."

A looked on glee crossed Matt's face. "I don't want it to sound like I'm glad she won't be around, because I _adore_ that girl, you know that, but that is quite honestly the best news I've heard in forever. You realize, of course, that this means that I will absolutely be setting up camp in your bedroom and wrangling every last moment in there with you that I can, right?"

"Any other answer would have been a crushing disappointment, honestly."

A grin threatened to split Matt's face open. He leaned in and kissed her, tongue flicking out to taste her. But before they could deepen the kiss any further, he reared back, a look of horror on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, worried.

"Bugger. I just realized that this is all sort of because of Kazza, if you think about it. She forced me out to lunch yesterday, where I ran into you. And if she hadn't decided to be evil and stop trying to point out what today was, we never would have ended up where we are now."

Alex stifled a giggle into his chest. "I think you definitely owe her a thank you. We both do."

"Yeah, well, you can thank her if you like. I hate having to thank her for anything. She _loves_ gloating. Forever. Maybe I'll just buy her a pair of shoes." He stopped to think for a moment. "Or really expensive jewelry. Or maybe a boat. Something more fitting to the value I got out of the whole thing." He pressed a lingering kiss to Alex's forehead, followed by one on her neck and she continued to giggle at his ridiculousness despite the flush working it's way up her body.

"You do that, darling," she said gleefully, leaning in to kiss him properly. "It's certainly better than your plans of revenge from earlier."

"Yeah, well, what's there to get revenge on really? Thanks to her, I've just gotten the best Valentine ever," he mumbled into her mouth, hand trailing over her side, inching lower as he spoke. "I'm pretty confident nothing I get her could compare to the gift of tonight."

She shifted beneath him, letting his frame cover her completely before his head starting working its way down, kissing a heated trail down her body. Her skin was tingling, anticipating his next movements as he neared closer to his target, but her heart swelled at his declaration. She carded her fingers through his hair and vowed to also send Karen some sort of gift in thanks for not spoiling their fun. "Happy Valentine's Day, Matt."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Alex," Matt whispered into the valley between her legs just before flicking his tongue over her. She gasped and tugged at his hair.

This most _definitely_ beat the lonely weekend on her own she'd so been looking forward to.

 


End file.
